Smarter than the average teddy bear? Cuddly diseases spread through playtime

Samantha Selinger-Morris

WHOEVER said the geeks shall inherit the earth probably did not mean this.

Toys and art objects based on science classes such as physics and microbiology have become the hottest thing.

Soft toys in the shape of subatomic particles (such as quarks and neutrons) and microbes (such as Ebola and salmonella) from, respectively, particlezoo.net and giantmicrobes.com, have been feted on the likes of CNN and interior design sites.

And joining them on the market are bespoke toys and an iPhone application of an animated talking bacteria - now in the top 25 free apps - that ''laughs'' when you ''tickle'' it.

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There are almost as many theories behind the sudden rise in science stuff made cuddly as there are Giant Microbes on the market (87). The science journalist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki puts it down to a ''cultural expression of the oncoming genetic revolution''.

The products, he says, are a reflection of artists and thinkers of all types ''trying to deal'' with the recent onslaught of information about such contentious issues as stem cell technology and the imminent possibility of modifying viruses - so that, for instance, ''one could attack only people who have blue eyes''.

For Ben Newsome, director of the science communications firm Fizzics Education, they are the byproduct of science enjoying more cultural cachet than ever before.

''You look at every advertisement, in cosmetics or whatever, and people are trying to put a scientific swing on their products to give it more credit,'' he says, adding that TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory have created a ''geek chic''.

Dr Will Rifkin, who recently received a giant stuffed e-coli as a present from students, agreed, saying the popularity might stem from the profile of scientists as ''the smart person who is shown to be goofy'' on television.

While the toys are popular with children - the NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children uses them for holiday workshops to teach brain science and other bodily processes to primary pupils - adults are the main buyers.

Doctors, medical students and veterinarians are among those who favour toys with their skeletons exposed, made by the American sculptor Jason Freeny. ''It's fun to imagine your toys as real living beings,'' he says.

This theory does not spread across the entire trend.

Reaction was scathing to a ''Twin Teddy Kit'' that shows new parents how to turn a mother's placenta into a teddy bear.

''Finally,'' wrote one woman on a parenting website, ''the answer to 'What do you give the future serial killer who already has everything?'''

8 comments so far

I got the kissing disease for Christmas, and my dog got the heartworm. So cute!

Commenter

Bunny

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 9:49AM

ThinkGeek has had these for a couple of years now - not really that new...

Commenter

MegaKay

Location

Sydney

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 12:41PM

Hmm, they are not dissimilar looking to the ugly dolls phenom- I reckon this is not a move to science based toys/dolls based on geek chic but rather a shift in design. Compare them with ugly dolls which have been around for about 10 years now-

http://shop.uglydolls.com/home/index/322.0

Commenter

Alex

Location

Finley NSW

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 12:57PM

My boyfriend gave me herpes, chicken pox, HIV, mad cow disease and ebola virus...he would have given my syphillis too but it was out of stock...they sit on my desk at work...yes I work in a hospital and used to specialise in infectious diseases... :)

Commenter

Me

Location

Sydney

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 1:05PM

Oh wow, way to go smh with keeping up with the times! I brought my first Giant Microbe back in 2005 and they've been on sale in Oz since 2007....

Commenter

MemB

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 5:44PM

I love those microbes, and you don't have to look for them as far as ThinkGeek, Presents of Mind in Paddington have them too (that's where I got my microbes :) )

Commenter

Anna

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 9:09PM

There is a manga (Japanese comic) and a TV series based on a university student who can 'see' microbes. "Moyashimon" (also known in English as 'Tales of Agriculture') depicts bacteria and micro-organisms as cute and floating. Not unusually, soft plush dolls are also available in Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Moyashimon_micro-organisms.jpg

Commenter

Sydney2K

Date and time

January 04, 2011, 11:06PM

Wow, what a boyfriend you have... so generous to spread the love like that. Or did you mean he bought you the soft toys off ThinkGeek?